Could Build a Castle
by Why Are You My Clarity
Summary: It's the moment before Beck Oliver says I do, and he's suddenly hit with a wave of flashbacks. Glimpses of the years he spent growing up and falling in love with Cat Valentine are suddenly all around him, and he wonders if he's made the right decisions with his life. Would he change his past if he could? *Bat, Tandre, Rade*
1. Hello

Chapter One.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is a completely AU story.*

"I'm Cat," The girl stuck out a hand with chipped pink nail polish on every nail, "and my last name is Valentine, like the holiday." The boy in front of her stared shyly at her outstretched arm, and then glanced back at her face.

Her arm dropped down so that it hung by her side, and she tried again,  
"Do you wanna come over and play? My mom just bought a whole lot of popsicles and I bet we've got your favorite color."

He looked back at his house and watched as his dad heaved the couch through the front door into the living room, and turned back to Cat to give a quick nod.

Cat beamed at this, and took his hand, then proceeding to run across the street with him in tow and tug open the door. Actually, he opened the door because it was too heavy for her, but she pretended that she did, anyways. The pair went straight to the kitchen, and then the boy opened the freezer, too.

"What's your favorite color?" Cat arched an eyebrow at him, and bent down to tug her stool in front of the freezer so that she'd be tall enough to see inside of it, "Mine's pink, but you're a boy, so it's probably not your favorite color too."

The boy thought about this for a moment, tugged at the sleeve of his shirt, and spoke, "My favorite color is black, but that's not a popsicle flavor, so do you have red?"

"We have every color!" Cat was thrilled at his sudden outburst of conversation, and nearly fell off her stool in her hurry to hand him a red popsicle, "Hey, our favorite colors kind of go together. Pink and black, and pink and red. Neat." She tugged a pink popsicle from the package and hopped down from her stool.

The boy moved to sit at the kitchen table, but quickly squatted down on the floor when Cat kneeled down and leaned against the counter. "Why are we on the floor?"

"It's more fun this way," Cat explained, pausing to suck on her popsicle, "What's your name? You look like a... I don't know."

He leaned back against the counter, imitating her, and wiggled his feet, "My name's Beck."

"I like your name Beck," Cat giggled, and set her popsicle on the floor, twisting around and running a hand through Beck's hair, "And I like your hair, too! It's soft!" In an effort to further pet his head, she twisted too far and toppled over, her head landing in his lap.

A round of giggles escaped her, and she made no move to sit up, instead lifting her feet into the air and covering her face with her hands to suppress her laughter.

And when the extremely shy Beck looked down at Cat Valentine, like the holiday, giggling in his lap with her hair splayed all around her, he thought to himself that he would definitely like his new house and maybe even first grade.

A few minutes passed, and Cat's giggles finally subsided, and she reluctantly rose from Beck's lap, instead stretching out on her stomach on the cold, kitchen floor and peering up at her new friend.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Beck, out of habit, glanced in the direction of his house, "I have a big brother named Robert, but he's away at college."

When Cat simply smiled at him, he felt his cheeks grow hot, "Um, do you?"

"Kind of," She offered a toothy grin, and flipped over to her back, kicking her feet in frenzied circles above her, "He's still in Mommy's tummy."

"Did your mom _eat_ him?" Beck felt horrified, and worry for his new friend instantly washed over him.

Cat Valentine arched an eyebrow at him and burst into another fit of laughter, "No, silly, she's preg-nit! Do you wanna see my bedroom?"

But it was at this moment that a knock sounded on the front door, and Cat hopped up onto her feet, stood on her tippy toes, and managed to peer at the clock on the stove by tilting her head all the way back.

"Oh!" Her eyes twinkled with delight, "Andre is here! He's my best friend, and he'll be your friend, too!"

"Wait!" Beck stopped dead in his tracks, latching onto Cat's wrist and pulling her back in desperation, "No! Please!"

The tiny six year old jumped in surprise, and then let her eyebrows droop with concern, "Beck? What? Are you okay?"

"He won't want to be my friend! He'll make fun of me!" Tears began to well up in the small boy's eyes, and he remembered kindergarten and the countless jokes all the other kids had made about him.

Suddenly he was embraced in a tight, encouraging hug. Well, kind of. Six year old Cat Valentine was at the bottom of the growth charts, and had just hit 40 pounds, where as Beck was at the top of his and weighed around 60. So, while her arms wrapped around his neck, her head stopped below his chin.

"It's okay, Beck." Cat cooed, hugging him tighter, "Andre is really nice and I bet all three of us can be best friends! Because you're really nice, too!"

Beck's lower lip trembled, and he blew nervously at his hair when Cat pulled away, a nervous habit he had picked up when he was just a baby, "B-but, I'm scared."

"I'll hold your hand," Cat offered, and quickly reached out for his. "Don't be scared, Beck. Please come meet Andre!"

He remained still for another moment, and stole one final glance at Cat's big, hopeful, brown eyes, before holding her hand a little tighter, "Okay."

The pair must have been a comical sight, because it seemed that the roles had been reversed. In movies, it's always the boy who leads the way and encourages the girl to lead the way. But trust Cat Valentine to flip things around, and take the much-taller Beck Oliver by the hand and lead him down the hallway.

Beck met Andre for the first time, and the pair became a trio, forming a bond that would be tested countless times over the many years to come.

**A/N: So, this chapter was pretty short, cause I just wanted to introduce the two main characters and give a little background for the story. I'll update after five reviews. :) Lemme know what you think. Should I continue? **


	2. Pretend Pony

Chapter Two

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

Cat Valentine was naturally the bubbliest, most energetic almost seven year old girl in her first grade class of twenty eight people, including Andre Harris and Beck Oliver. But today, she seemed happier than usual. Her backpack sported a new bulge in the front pocket, and her smile might have literally stretched from ear to ear.

And, she seemed intent on explaining why as soon as she landed her butt in the bus seat she shared with her two best friends.

"Becky! Andre!" Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, "Do you wanna guess what I'm so excited about? Wait, first guess what I did last night!"

Andre puzzled over this for a moment, "Ate dinner?"

Beck guessed next, "Took a bath?"

Cat giggled and nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! I did both! But, I meant guess what _exciting _thing I did last night! Oh, well, I'll tell you!"

There was a long pause, and the two boys stared at her expectantly, curious now to know what had excited their favorite girl so much. She stared back at the two of them, unable to contain her smile.

"Uh, Cat, are you gonna tell us?" Beck looked confused, and he reached out to tap the girl lightly on the head.

"Let.." Cat mumbled, focusing now on her backpack, and twisted around awkwardly to take it off of her back, "Lemme just show you. I got something for you both."

Andre and Beck both watched her curiously, leaning towards her in their enthusiasm to discover what she was so thrilled with. It was hard for them to keep their eyes shut when she gave them the command to.

"Hold out your hands," Cat giggled, and placed her secret in their palms.

When they opened their eyes, they were surprised to see not the usual piece of candy, but instead a bright, pink envelope for both of them. Beck hoped that it wouldn't involve much reading because that was his worst subject in school, and being in first grade hadn't helped much to make him better.

"Well," Cat crossed her arms over her chest and beamed at the two boys, "Open them!"

Contrary to the way Cat would've opened the envelope, the boys ripped at the flap eagerly, tearing it open and then slowing down slightly to tug the card out. The card was a similar pink color, except it had stickers of objects like ponies, cakes, and balloons smacked down messily all over it, and in huge words it read: CAT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Andre nodded excitedly and stuffed the invitation into his backpack, and Beck stared at his for another minute or so, "When's your birthday?"

"June 26th!" Cat exclaimed, "In ten days! And guess what! Guess what! Oh. I'll tell you. My party is on my actual birthday!"

Beck stared down at his lap for the rest of the bus ride, and when they arrived at the school, instead of helping Cat pass out invitations to the rest of the class, he instead sat at his desk and watched. A sad frown seemed permanent on his face.

"Are you okay?" Andre sat down beside him, and leaned his head down as well so that he'd be eye to eye with his best friend.

Beck wrinkled up his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, "No."

Andre couldn't help but giggle at how comical Beck's face looked, "Well, you gonna tell me why?"

With a drawn out sigh, Beck returned his attention to the tiny brunette skipping around the classroom with an armful of invitations, "Don't tell her, but I've never been invited to a birthday party, and I don't know what to do at hers!"

Laughter filled the table, and Andre let his head fall back onto his shoulders, "You're so funny, Beck! A birthday party is just... just like... Like going to Cat's house and playing in the backyard or under the kitchen table! Except, you get her a gift! And, there's a lot more people there!"

"Really?" Beck appeared delighted with this information, and he stood up from his seat and hurried to Cat's side, "Cat, do you want me to help you pass out invitations?"

Cat beamed up at her best friend, "Yes! Please!"

* * *

Cat Valentine sat in tears on her couch, adorned in a frilly, pink sundress with her long, curly, brown hair pulled into a loose bun atop her head. Her party was due to start in just five minutes, and in her backyard a petting zoo was fully set up and a clown was rehearsing his act and checking his balloon stock to make balloon animals. (Hopefully he'd be able to make a unicorn).

The problem was that Cat had wanted, more than anything, a pony to ride around her backyard on for the day.

And, her parents had ordered one, of course. But Mr. Pony hadn't bothered to show up.

A knock on the door broke the small girl, temporarily, from her moment of despair, and she raced towards the front of the house to answer it. She was still too small to open it herself, so she knocked on the door, and it was tugged open from the outside to reveal the two grinning faces of Andre Harris and Beck Oliver.

Their smiles quickly disappeared when they saw her distraught expression.

"M-my... My p-p-pony," Cat stuttered, her voice thick with tears, "didn't c-come!"

The pair of boys stared at her in alarm, unsure of what to do to make her feel better. Normally, it was her mom who took care of these situations. But Andre was quick to come up with a solution, "How about we play _pretend _pony?"

Beck caught on, and nodded eagerly at the small girl in front of him, "Yeah, Cat. I'll be the pony." He knelt down on the floor and let Cat timidly climb onto his back, and when her legs were securely around his waist, and her arms wound around his neck, Andre helped pull him to where he was standing.

"Whee!" Cat's tears were quickly forgotten, and she petted Beck's head affectionately, "Wow, pony! You've got a pretty mane!"

The majority of the people Cat invited showed up, but she didn't say much to any of them, she was too preoccupied with her pony ride.

(The only time she let the poor boy rest was when her mother and father together peeled her from his back so she could sit down and eat cake.)

Cat Valentine was seated at the head of the table, and she leaned her chin on the palms of her hands to stare at her candle lit cake in awe. Beck spared a quick glance at her glowing expression, alight with the warm glow of candles, and decided that he didn't mind at all.

**A/N: Lemme know what you guys thought! Read and review. :) **


	3. Those Kinds of Things

Chapter Three.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

It was a sunny day, and the temperature had soared into the high nineties, making the hazy afternoon the perfect opportunity for eight year old Cat Valentine to sit on her back porch and blow bubbles. Her favorite part of blowing bubbles wasn't actually blowing them, but instead catching the bubbles on the wand and seeing how many she could stack up before they popped.

Her personal record was four.

So, on a day like this, she wasn't expecting an angry Beck Oliver to show up at the back gate. Yet there he was. Normally, he'd call out to let her know he was coming into the backyard, but today he yanked the gate door open and stormed into the yard. His normally olive toned face was instead a deep, angry red.

"Becky?" Cat gently set her bubbles down on the porch steps beside her, "You okay?"

Instead of replying, he took a deep breath and kicked the oak tree as hard as he could, and he probably would've continued to kick it if Cat hadn't of reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him away. Her eyes were wide with concern, and she attempted to pull him closer for a hug.

"I..." His voice came out much higher than usual, and he tried again, "Ugh. I... I'm so mad." Without thinking, he pulled away from his smaller friend, rejecting the hug she had offered.

Cat frowned at this, "Tell me why. Is your foot okay?"

"My foot is fine!" He huffed, turning away from the small girl, but then let out a sigh when he realized how mean he had just been, "My foots okay, Cat, honest. I shouldn't have kicked your tree."

"What made you mad enough to kick it?" Cat inquired, sitting back down on the porch and resuming her bubble blowing.

There was no conversation between the pair for a long moment, something that was unusual.

"Myparentsaregettingadivorce." Beck spoke very quickly, unable to look at Cat.

Her head tilted to the side, resembling a puppy, "What'd you say?"

"My mom," His voice broke, and the angry redness returned, "My mom said." He abruptly stopped speaking, and let his chin fall against his chest. The length of his long, messy, dark hair hid his expression from Cat, and she hoped he wasn't crying. That would be worse than the angry red.

"Your mom what?" Her bubbles were set down once again, and she scooted closer to him, draping a skinny arm around his neck and craning her neck in an attempt to see his face.

When Beck spoke again, he didn't sound like himself at all, "She told me that her and Dad are getting divorced."

Mr. and Mrs. Valentine had always had a fairy-tale relationship, free of any trouble at all, so this word was new for Cat's vocabulary. All she could tell was that it's not a good thing, and that it makes your face turn red and your foot kick trees.

"What's a divorce?" Her voice came out as a squeak.

"It means that they don't love each other anymore."

Upon hearing this, Cat's eyes welled up with tears. How could an eight year old girl whose biggest problem in life had been not having a pony at her birthday party understand the idea of falling _out_ of love? That wasn't how things went in the Disney princess movies.

"But... But, how do you stop loving somebody?" Cat's voice quivered, and a new fear of the world settled in her.

"What do you mean? It happens all the time." Beck replied, staring at her in confusion.

Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, his parents had never had a smooth relationship. It was always arguing and tears and sometimes if it got bad enough they would hurt each other. Never physically Beck, but just seeing it hurt pretty bad.

He wasn't angry that they weren't going to fight anymore, he was just angry that they'd stopped trying to love each other. It wasn't fair, and second grade Beck Oliver just didn't understand it.

"Do you think people stop loving me, too?" Cat spoke sadly, her tiny heart broken in two with this new concept.

Beck's cheeks flushed when he looked at her once again, and he wasn't sure what to say. Because Cat Valentine was his best friend in the world, (along with Andre), and he'd never ever stop loving her. If he did, who would he eat popsicles with and push on the swingset and give piggy back rides to? Andre doesn't like those kinds of things.

But, it'd be weird to tell her that, so he just half smiled at her and shook his head, "Not you."

A toothy smile, (well, kind of, Cat had lost one of her front teeth last Tuesday), was his reward, and Cat yanked his hand into hers and twirled their fingers around in an impossible tangle, "You either, Becky. Just cause your parents don't love each other anymore... Well, I mean, I know they still love _you._"

Beck's face turned a happy red this time, and he tugged his hand away from hers, "Let's go play on the swing set! I want to go down the slide."

Cat took off running after him, giggles bubbling in the air around her, "Wait, Becky! Push me on the swings first!"

She didn't think much about it, but she'd never stop loving Beck Oliver, ever. That was the decision she made when he pulled the swing she sat on way back and let it go, sending her soaring through the air. He was her bestest friend ever ever ever, and if they stopped being friends, who would watch Disney Princess movies with her? Or let her pet their head and have a favorite color that matches hers? Andre doesn't like those kinds of things.


	4. Something Special in Everyone

Chapter Four.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

Hollywood Arts Elementary wasn't a very big school, and everybody who went there knew everybody. So, when there was a new arrival, everybody knew about it.

The teacher had told Andre, Cat and Beck's third grade class about a week ago to expect a new student sometime soon, but she hadn't said much else about the kid.

Today was Robbie Shapiro's first day, and it seemed he was all that anybody talked about.

He wasn't anything spectacular. In fact, he may have been the complete opposite of it. Robbie was thin as a twig, tall as a tree, and white as a ghost. And to add to that, he had crooked teeth and a headful of thick, curly, black hair.

Most of the talk about him wasn't nice, to say the least.

But did any of that matter to Cat Valentine? Of course not. She was the type of person to find something special in everybody, and it seemed she found everything about Robbie special.

"Hi guys!" Cat greeted her two best friends, Andre and Beck, cheerfully as she sat down at their lunch table. They were about to smile and greet her, and then they noticed a certain twig with an afro behind her. "This is Robbie, and he's so cool!"

Robbie sat down beside her, and tossed a nerdy grin in Beck and Andre's direction, "Hi."

They both mumbled their hello's, and Cat began to speak again, sounding more excited than usual, "Guess what! Robbie is my new neighbor! That means he can come over all the time!"

"Probably even more than Beck does!" Andre snickered, bringing up once again his idea that Beck and Cat like each other.

Beck's cheeks flushed bright red at this, but before he could say anything, Cat had arched an eyebrow and rose up in her seat, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Robbie, meanwhile, had been watching Cat the whole time. The new boy was much more enthusiastic to admit to a crush on the tiny brunette than Beck. He found her just as special as she found him, and then there was the fact that, unlike most everybody else, she was nice to him.

"Besides," Beck brought Robbie back to reality, "I still live right across the street from her! I live closer than Robbie. Me and Cat will still play all the time."

Cat nodded in affirmation, and Robbie beamed at Beck, "Yeah. It's just that I'll be there, too! My favorite game to play is pirates!"

A twinkle appeared in Cat's eyes at the sound of this, "Like with dressing up and everything? Me too!"

And that's how, at exactly five o clock that day, Cat Valentine, Beck Oliver, Andre Harris and Robbie Shapiro, (the four most unlikely friends), ended up in Cat's backyard.

Andre had borrowed four of his mom's bandanas, at Cat's request, and now all four children wore them atop their heads while Cat hopped around comically on one foot.

"Arrrgh," She growled, squinting with one eye at her boys, "I need me first matey to step up!"

Beck and Robbie shot forward at the same time, while Andre remained behind looking amused. A dirty look had become common already between Oliver and Shapiro, much to Cat's distaste.

"Guuuuys," Her lower lip stuck out in a pout, and she dropped her arms to her side, "Stop being mean to each other. I don't like it."

A final glare is shared between Robbie and Beck, and then all of a sudden all Beck knows is that he wants more than anything to just hit Robbie Shapiro in the face.

Who gave Shapiro the right to come to their school and meet Cat Valentine, and be her neighbor and follow her to lunch, and who gave Shapiro the right to smile at Cat and blush when she speaks? And who gave him the right to be her first mate?

Those were things Beck did with Cat. Cat was _his _best friend, and Cat's favorite color matched his, and when he pushes her on the swing she giggles and turns around to smile at him.

So when Robbie turned to smile at Cat, (for the millionth time), that's what Beck did. He punched Robbie in the face, and when Robbie fell to the ground and landed on his butt in a puddle, Beck felt a lot better.

Until he saw Cat's face.

Beck had seen her cry before, over things like not having a pony for her birthday party, and when she found out about his parent's divorce, or when she lost her favorite teddy bear. But, he'd never seen her angry.

Until now.

Her eyes had widened dramatically, but her eyebrows were narrowed so that a little line appeared between them, and her mouth was pursed into a thin line. She dropped to her knees and helped Robbie up, offering him a hug and then directing him toward her bathroom.

Beck remained frozen, unsure of what to do. Finally, Cat made her way towards him, placed her hands on her hips and looked up at him with sad eyes, "I think you should go home."

Later that night, Beck Oliver sat alone on his couch, flipping aimlessly through his favorite cartoon channels. None of them seemed very funny today. So he was grateful to be preoccupied with something else when the doorbell rang.

After how upset Cat was with him, he expected it to be Andre. So when he opened the door and looked down at the face of a tiny, long haired brunette with big brown eyes and dimples, he couldn't help but grin.

"I can't come in, cause it's my bedtime," She explained, and he quickly stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

"Okay, listen, Cat, I'm awfully sorry about punching Robbie." The words spilled from Beck's mouth like water.

Cat put a finger to his lips hurriedly, "Shh, Becky, it's not me you need to apologize to. It's Robbie."

His smile dropped at this. Aplogizing is hard. "I know... I'll apologize tomorrow before school. I promise."

"Good," She grinned at him, "But, Becky, why'd you do it? Robbie's so nice."

Beck's cheeks flushed, and he dropped his gaze to his feet, "You're _my _best friend... I don't wanna share you with Robbie. I... You liked him more than you like me."

Cat's eyes widened at this, and a shy smile spread across her lips, "Becky, I don't like anybody more than you. You're my best friend. Our favorite colors even match... Okay?"

"Okay," He smiled back at her, and then glanced down at his batman watch, which now read 8:00 pm. His bedtime was in five minutes. Cat's was five minutes ago.

When she caught sight of the time, as well, she glanced at Beck once more and turned to run back home. Before that, though, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him in a warm embrace.

"We'll be best friends forever and ever," She assured him, and in a brave moment, planted a soft, quick kiss on his cheek before darting home.


	5. Three Jumbo IcePops a Minute

Chapter Five.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

_A/N: Thank you so much to the four people that have reviewed. Whenever I feel like people just don't like this story, I get a review from one of you and suddenly am motivated to continue. Love you guys. xxx_

Everybody had always known that Cat was different. Even as fourth graders, all the children knew that the extremity of Cat's emotions, (and how quickly they changed), wasn't normal. They knew that when she'd suddenly tell them an impossible story and then just freeze and not say a word, it wasn't normal.

But that hadn't bothered anybody, especially her friends. On the contrary, most everybody was very protective of her.

Nobody would've ever guessed that she was different in a way that could be diagnosed.

"Beck," Beck looked up from his coloring book to see Cat's mother standing in the doorway, "Could I speak with you?"

He was about to protest, but when he looked down and saw that Cat had fallen asleep with her face in her coloring book, he nodded and stood up, following Elaine down the hall.

She motioned for him to sit down beside her, and for a long moment she didn't speak.

"Do you remember last week when we took Cat to the doctor?" Her first words were spoken softly, and she glanced down at Beck.

He nodded, fiddling with his thumbs. Cat told him the doctor asked her a lot of weird questions, but wouldn't specify on what exactly he asked.

"His name was Dr. Berrios, and he was a very special doctor," She paused, "for special people."

Beck looked up at Elaine, and noticed that her eyes were watering a little. He was confused. If Cat was special, (and he knew she was), then why would her mom be upset?

"Beck," Elaine spoke louder now, "There is something about Cat's brain that makes her very different from you and from me. Our girl is very, very special. She sees and hears and comprehends things differently than we do. Everything she feels, she feels it x10."

When Beck didn't speak, Elaine wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He was silent for a long moment, and stared at his feet when he spoke again, "I know Cat's special. That's why I like her, cause, it's nice when somebody whose different loves me. It helps me see things differently, too. Cat sees things better."

All of a sudden, Beck was lifted from his seat and pulled into Elaine's lap, and after the surprise of her wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his hair, he realized she was crying. Little drops of emotion splattered on his shoulder.

He reached up to hug her back, "It's okay, Elaine. I like that she's special."

Finally, she wiped at the bottoms of her eyes with the back of her hand, "We love you very much, Beck Oliver."

"Can I go play with Cat again, now?" His cheeks flushed when she used the L-word, and saying it back seemed very scary.

"Of course, sweetie."

* * *

That afternoon was really warm, so Cat had decided she and Beck would spend it on the swingset eating popsicles. She wanted to turn her tongue rainbow colors, so she was eating every color of popsicle she owned in rapid succession.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

But that didn't stop Beck from encouraging her to keep trying, because he liked to see her smile and giggle and jump up and down when she got a 'brain freeze'.

When Elaine had called Cat special, all he could think about were moments like this, because these moments with Cat felt special.

Who else did he know that could eat three jumbo icepops in one minute?

"We're gonna be friends forever, huh?" Cat's voice was muffled due to the large chunk of flavored ice in her mouth, "Cause I don't think forevers even _that _long. Like, we could do it. Right, Becky?"

"Right," he confirmed, although in his opinion forever would go on forever. That was okay with him, though.

"Remember," Cat spoke shyly, and let her gaze fall into her lap, her hair falling around her face like a curtain, "remember when I kissed your cheek the day you hit Robbie?"

(Beck had, as promised, apologized the next day, and now the two boys only kind of disliked each other. They got along great if Cat wasn't around or the topic of conversation.)

"Umm," Beck's stomach flipped in circles, and he looked away from the small girl, "Yeah."

"Was," Cat caught her tongue between her teeth, "that okay with you? I never asked."

Beck's thumbs battled furiously in his lap once again, "Um, yeah. That... That was the first time a girl ever kissed me."

"What would ya do if- and not that I will- but what if I kissed your mouth?" Cat stumbled over her words, and she had stopped swinging.

"I'd kiss you back," he replied quickly, his fourth grade boy's heart thumping painfully against his chest.

And then, before he knew what was happening, Cat was getting off her swing and standing on her tippy toes in front of him, her eyes squinted shut and her hands clasped behind her back.

He leaned in to kiss her, and right as their noses touched, she broke into a fit of giggles and took off running in the opposite direction.

"Catch me if ya can, Becky!"


	6. Are You Asking if You Can Kiss Me?

Chapter Six.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

Cat Valentine loved her three best friends dearly, but being the only girl out of four could get pretty tiring and lonesome. So the day Jade West came to be in her fifth grade class at Hollywood Arts Elementary, Cat believed it was going to be the best day of her life.

Beck watched from his desk as Cat skipped toward the new girl's desk, a wide smile on her face, "Hi! I'm Cat! Do you wanna be friends?"

"No." The girl's answer was short and blunt, and with a toss of her long, black hair she resumed playing with her scissors.

"But... But..." Cat was at a loss for words. Nobody had ever turned her down like that, "But we could be best friends and paint our nails and go shopping and do our hair!"

Jade glared at the smaller girl with piercing, blue eyes, but before she could say anything, she caught sight of Beck Oliver, "Who is that?"

"Becky," Cat beamed, her heart fluttering at the mention of him, "He's my best friend in the entire world." She was completely unaware of Jade's instant liking of him, and maybe if she knew, she wouldn't have introduced her to him.

"Becky," Cat called affectionately, her cheeks growing warmer at the mere sight of him. Lately, she had started to develop new feelings for him, different ones than the normal friend ones she felt for Andre or Robbie.

Beck, mere putty in the tiny girl's hands, immediately stood from his seat and hurried her way, "Hey, Cat. Whose this?"

"Jade," The new girl cut in before Cat had a chance, "I like scissors and scaring little kids."

A very baffled Beck could only smile in return. Why in the world was Cat talking to this girl, when they were complete opposites?

And a very oblivious Cat was becoming happier and happier, "Yay! Now we can all be best friends!"

* * *

The next few weeks brought a world of change and, unfortunately, hurt. The more and more time Jade and Beck spent together, the less time he had for Cat. And eventually, Beck decided he and Jade had enough in common that she should be his first girlfriend.

"I think we should kiss," She stated one day while cutting up his favorite hockey magazine at his kitchen table. His mom had gone to the grocery store, because what did she have to worry about leaving two fifth graders home alone? She had deemed their relationship 'puppy love', but was sad to see Cat replaced with a girl as mean as Jade.

Beck looked up in alarm. The only time he'd ever kissed a girl was when Cat kissed his cheek two years ago. And thinking about Cat reminded him of the crush he had had on her for nearly four years, (and how it was still secretly there), and how the two of them never played together anymore.

Maybe he'd visit her tomorrow.

"What? We're only fifth graders though," Beck stumbled over his words, "We aren't even in middle school yet."

"Do you not want to kiss me?" Jade glared at him, her skinny arms folded across her chest, "Do you think I'm ugly?"

"No!" He felt his heartbeat quicken. There was no way he could tell Jade that he'd never kissed a girl before. "I... Um..." An idea suddenly came to him, "I'll kiss you tomorrow after school."

* * *

He felt bad for this, he really did, but this was the only way he'd be able to kiss Jade tomorrow. That was his justification as he knocked on the door of the girl across the street.

He was about to knock again when the door was tugged open and a smiling Cat Valentine stood in the doorway. She wore a pink summer dress with hummingbirds in different shades of blue and green all over it. Beck couldn't help but think she looked really pretty and wish Jade would wear dresses and curl her hair like Cat does.

And Cat couldn't help but think about how much she likes Beck and wonder what made Jade so much more special than her.

"Hi," She finally spoke first, and she stared at her green toenails, "You haven't come over in a long time."

Beck wanted to apologize and tell her how much he missed her, and promise her that he'd come over every day again starting right now, but instead he said, "I've been kinda busy."

"Oh." Cat felt stung by this, "So why are you here right now?"

"I need your help with somethin." Beck mumbled, his cheeks rosy. He tried to ignore the hurt look on his best friend's face.

"Okay, whatever you need." Her heart fluttered at the thought that he'd come to her rather than Jade.

"Jade.." Beck trailed off, and Cat's heart started to hurt, "Wants me to kiss her. And I've never kissed a girl. So.. Um.."

"Becky Oliver, are you asking if you can kiss me?" Part of her wanted to cry because this was Jade's boyfriend, Jade who was her only girlfriend. And then part of her wanted to kiss him so bad because this is her best friend Beck Oliver, who she's known since first grade and who she has the world's biggest crush on and who is perfect in every way with his combat boots and chocolate eyes.

"Can I?" Beck's voice came out much smaller than he hoped, and he was shocked when he realized he was more nervous about this kiss than he was about kissing Jade tomorrow.

Cat, in response, took a shy step towards him and closed her eyes. With her cheeks rosy red and her glossy brown curls falling all around her tiny frame, Beck wondered why he had spent so much time away from her.

And then he remembered that he was supposed to kiss her, so he leaned close to her and right as their lips were about to touch, he closed his eyes, too. And then he was kissing Cat Valentine. His first kiss.

That was the first time Beck ever considered breaking up with Jade West.


	7. His Fury more than Matched her Fear

Chapter Seven.

*I do not own Victorious or any of its characters. This is an AU story.*

_A/N: I'm changing a tiny fact about this story. I know Beck has been in Cat's class every year, but let's pretend he's always been one grade above her. Okay? It'll work better for the coming chapters. Just din't want any of you to be confused._

Sixth grade was the starting year of middle school at Hollywood Arts, and we all know how middle school can be. A certain tiny brunette with doe eyes and sparkly vans was learning this lesson particularly hard.

With Beck spending nearly all his time with Jade, his lingering glances at Cat and their shared smiled nobody knew about didn't provide nearly the same protection his constant presence used to.

Andre was especially busy with his music that first year, and Robbie wasscared of bullies, so little Cat Valentine was left alone to face her tormentors. But did she tell anybody about this? Of course not, she didn't want to be a burden!

Today would be the worst day of all, however, and the tiny girl was far from prepared for what was to come.

It started out the same as usual. John Fritz and his three best friends walked by her locker, their steely glares burning into her back, and a couple of them called her mean names that she didn't ever want to repeat. But she ignored them.

John and his friends were eight graders, and only came to the hallway to torment Cat. And John quickly got tired of being ignored, so he tormed to the locker beside hers and leaned against it, yanking on a curly lock so that her chin hit the locker and she was forced to look up at him.

"I don't like to be ignored, Valentine." John spoke softly, but his words were snarled and harsh.

"I'm sorry." Cat whimpered in reply, earning a round of laughter from the surrounding boys. By now, they were practically alone in the hallway.

"I'll make you sorry." He grinned maliciously down at her, and shoved her back against the locker. From there he lifted her hands above her and pinned them above her head with one hand.

A hand was outstretched towards her, and he traced his free hand in circles over her chest, eliciting tears from her eyes, "You barely have any boobs. Are you half boy?"

The other boys snickered at this, and one of them suggested, "Why don't you just look?"

John grinned at this, and horror seeped inside Cat's very bones, so she began to struggle furiously against his touch, but he still managed to nearly take off her shirt.

His big, free hand squeezed at her chest painfully, and tears now flowed freely from her eyes. "Aw, look at the baby boy, crying. I bet she's never even had a boyfriend before."

After he was done investigating her chest and touching every inch of her to the point she felt sick, his gaze travelled down to her belt, the one place her mom said she shouldn't ever let a boy touch her unless they were married.

"Take her shoes off," John ordered his friends, who quickly complied. Cat's kicking legs and quiet sobs did nothing to stop them.

Now John began to quickly undo her belt with one hand, and pulled it from its jean loops with a quick pop, letting it fall to the ground. Next were her jeans, which took him more time, and John wasn't a patient guy. So he had his friends help tug them off while he trailed a finger around her belly button.

And now a sobbing Cat Valentine stood before him with aching arms in nothing but a pair of pink panties with lambs printed all over them and her shirt lifted up to her neck.

She had never been more scared in her life than she was when John gripped the top of her panties. But then she saw her hero, and suddenly she felt like she was going to be okay.

Because when Beck saw his best friend half naked and crying, surrounded by a group of boys, his fury more than matched her fear.

"Beck!" Cat cried out, but he was already running towards her, his fists balled up and his face an angry red, a shade she had seen only once. Except this time it was more of a purple. He pushed right through the three friends and pulled back his fist, aiming at John's eye and hitting it square on with a horrifying pop.

John dropped Cat's arms, both hands flying up to hold his eye, but Beck was far from done with him. All he could see was red, so he lunged at the older boy, knocking him to the ground and then sending a flurry of fists into his face. When one of John's friends attempted to pull him off, Beck attacked him next.

A kick to the side here, a fist in the jaw there. Cat was stunned into silence, and only when John and two of his friends writhed on the floor in pain did Beck drop to his knees and pull her into his lap.

Her arms tightened around his neck and she let her head fall against his chest, forgetting that she was half naked and instead focusing on the smell of Beck and the safety she felt in his arms. Her tears soaked his shirt, but thag didn't bother him.

He rocked her gently in his arms, and buried his face in her shoulder, "I am so sorry, Cat. I'm so sorry."

Beck was suspended from school for a week for fighting on school grounds, and John, (along with all three of his friends), were expelled for sexual harrasment, bullying, and fighting on school grounds.

But when Beck's mom found out why he was fighting, she quickly agreed to him going over to Cat's house after school that day.

Her face appeared after the first knock, and a small smile appeared on her lips as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, "Becky.."

She had taken a shower and now sported pajamas, and her face didn't look like fear and tears anymore. Beck was reminded once again of how beautiful she was.

"I wanted to apologize." He pulled her down so that they sat on her porch steps side by side.

"For what? Becky you saved me. If you hadn't of saw them, they would've done bad things to me!" Her voice quivered on the last few words, and it looked as if she was fighting back tears again.

"Hey," He quickly grabbed her hand in his, "Don't cry, please. I hate seeing you cry. Cat, I'll always save you. But, it was my fault you needed to be saved."

She stared up at him with doe eyes, and he tried to ignore her soft, pink lips and long, thick lashes. He tried to remember his girlfriend, but it wasn't working well. Her voice was soft, "What do you mean?"

"I haven't been there for you enough lately," He admitted, "I'm always leaving you behind for Jade and... And I just feel like if I had been there for you like I used to be, that none of this would have happened."

"So you're gonna come back?" A hopeful gleam appeared in her eyes, "We... We'll be as close as we used to be? Because, Becky I miss you so much. It hurts."

"I miss you too," He whispered, and he thought about how much it hurts him, too, when she let her head fall onto his shoulder.

That was the second time he considered breaking up with Jade West.


End file.
